LAKE FOREST, Ill. - General manager Jerry Angelo led a contingent of about 40 Bears staffers down Interstate 65 to Indianapolis Wednesday for the NFL's Scouting Combine.

Approximately 330 of the nation's top draft-eligible college players will be poked, prodded, timed, weighed and interviewed at the annual event, which runs through next Tuesday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Bears running back Matt Forte participates in a drill at last year's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

"It's the first time where we'll have all the players under one roof," Angelo said, "where we'll be able to see them and meet them, which really is the start of the draft [process].

"We have a lot of notes. We've evaluated the players. Now we get a chance to see them work out and get a chance to visit with them, so it's a great starting point.

"A lot of the foundation going forward [in preparation for the draft] will be laid at the Combine."

The Bears will be well-represented at the seven-day gathering, with Angelo being joined by coach Lovie Smith; assistant coaches; staffers from the college scouting, pro personnel and video departments; and doctors, trainers and strength coaches.

"Everybody is down there," Angelo said. "There's a role for everyone throughout the Combine."

While the NFL prospects are timed in the 40-yard dash, tested in cone drills and asked to bench-press 225 pounds as many times as they can, the Bears feel that two equally important elements of the Combine are the interviews and medical examinations.

Every evening beginning Thursday, each NFL team will conduct 15-minute interviews with 60 prospects they had to choose in advance. Like their counterparts, the Bears interview players in a hotel suite, videotaping each session. Those generally in attendance include Angelo, Smith, director of college scouting Greg Gabriel, and the Bears' area scout, coordinator and position coach.

The players also take the Wonderlic test, an exam of problem-solving ability that measures intelligence. Participants have 12 minutes to answer 50 questions. One of the questions might ask: "A train travels 20 feet in 1/5 second. At this same speed, how many feet will it travel in three seconds?"

The medical tests are also a key aspect of the evaluation process. Players who have suffered injuries in college are sent to a nearby hospital for an X-ray, and some who've had surgery are asked to take an MRI exam.

ChicagoBears.com will deliver all the latest news from the NFL Scouting Combine with a live blog Thursday, Friday and Saturday before reporting what Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo have to say when they meet the media Saturday.